What’s Up With The Traffic?

[Felt 35]

I hear tourist number are down, but the traffic are more intense than any March I have been here!

Its school holiday and in my experience the traffic then are more relaxed in the early morning hours, but not so this March. Where are everyone going?

[geriatrickid]

Sorry but it's much queiter in Patong. I can actually cross the Beach Rd without significant fear. The beach chairs are at 25% capacity so tourist level must be really down. I also notice there are not as many tuk tuks lined up, but boy do they look like an unhappy lot.

[stevenl]

Also in the mornings in the Chalong/Rawai area far less traffic.

[Felt 35]

Well between Thalang-Monument-Pa klok it was like busy peak season traffic this morning and the Police was out at the busiest u-turns already 0715.

[LivinginKata]

I think all the roads are very busy for late March. More like peak season right now...

[stevenl]

Well between Thalang-Monument-Pa klok it was like busy peak season traffic this morning and the Police was out at the busiest u-turns already 0715.

That is probably traffic going out of Phuket for the Songkran holidays. Whereas the traffic in Patong and Chalong/Rawai is local or tourist traffic.

[Felt 35]

I think all the roads are very busy for late March. More like peak season right now...

Most likely a top up extra late peak with tourists who hesitated to go when all the airport mess was going on before New Year!

That is probably traffic going out of Phuket for the Songkran holidays. Whereas the traffic in Patong and Chalong/Rawai is local or tourist traffic.

Songkran is still some weeks out so I don’t think so.

However I don’t know, but sure is it at even the Thepkasatri highway all the way to airport use to be quiet 0600-0830am when its school holiday both in October and March, + half of April. Not so this year.

[Quero]

I think all the roads are very busy for late March. More like peak season right now...

Most likely a top up extra late peak with tourists who hesitated to go when all the airport mess was going on before New Year!

That is probably traffic going out of Phuket for the Songkran holidays. Whereas the traffic in Patong and Chalong/Rawai is local or tourist traffic.

Songkran is still some weeks out so I don’t think so.

However I don’t know, but sure is it at even the Thepkasatri highway all the way to airport use to be quiet 0600-0830am when its school holiday both in October and March, + half of April. Not so this year.

I've noticed heavy traffic up that way, too, but I attributed it to the big market with the huge colored lights and so on that has been going on there for a couple of weekends.

[stevenl]

Songkran is still some weeks out so I don’t think so.

I know quite a few Thais who have left for home the last few days.

This morning, coming from Rawai to the circle in Chalong: could drive straight through, arrived at the circle with just 3 cars in front of me. At other times the traffic jam stared already at the school. So very quiet.

After that going from Rawai to Kata via the beach road: in between Iconic Bar and Kata encountered 4 minibuses, 7 motorbikes and 5 cars. That road is normally already not busy, but it was really quiet this morning.